Stay for wire fences



No. 620,590. Patented Mar. 7, I899. s. E. JACKSON.

STAY FOB WIRE FENCES.

(Application filed July 14, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHELDON E. JACKSON, OF \VESTON, MICHIGAN.

STAY FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,590, dated March 7, 1899.

Application filed July 14, 1897- Serial No. 644,496. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, SHELDON E. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weston, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Stays for \Vire Fences; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire stays or pickets for wire fences; and it consistsin the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to produce a wire stay or picket in which the construction is such as to enable it to be easily attached to the line-wires of a fence or a series of wires in a loom, so that the stay becomes coiled around the line-Wires without bending said stay or line wires in the act of attaching and which becomes so fixed to the line-wires as to be securely retained in place,- at the same time crimping the line-wires to form a slight bend therein and render the fence longitudinally elastic. This object is attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of wire fence provided with my improved stay or picket. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one of the pickets before attaching to the fence. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation showing the opposed loops of the picket flattened upon the line-wire. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the successive steps in the operation of attaching the stay to the line-wires. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail in section, showing the kink in the line-wire caused by the fiattenin g of the opposed loops of the stay-Wire thereon.

In the construction of the fence the linewires A are strung loosely, so that they extend between the supporting-posts A without tension. The picket or stay wire B is composed of a single strand of wire of the proper size to afford the strength required and is provided with'a series of reversed loops or bends a a, which stand in opposite directions and between which the bodysections of the stay stand obliquely and connect the extremi ties of said loops. These series of reversed bends are located such distance apart on the stay-wire as tocoincide with the longitudinal wires of the fence, of which there may be any number desired.

In the application of this improved stay to the line-wires of the fence said line-wires are slackened, and the stay or picket is attached thereto by winding or coiling the stay around each successive line=wire in the manner shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, in which the line-wire A is first dropped into the loop or bend a, the stay-wire extending at an acute angle to the line-wires. The lower or free end of the stay= wire is then raised, as shown in Fig. 5, and carried over the line-wire, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the line-wire passes through both loops a a. Each succeeding line-wire is en gaged by the stay-wire in the same manner. The stay-wire when all its loops have been engaged to the line-wire will stand at a slant, but may be straightened to a vertical position and moved to any desired point and secured by flattening said loops or coils onto the line-wire, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The operation of flattening the loops on the linewire causes a kink in the line-wire at that point, as shown in Fig. 7, whereby the stay is more securely held in position and the linewire is prevented from being drawn perfectly straight, thus rendering the line-wire longitudinally elastic to compensate for expansion and contraction and adding lateral flexibility to the fence.

By means of this improved stay a fence of great strength may be quickly and cheaply constructed. The stays, being first provided with the series of right-angle bends a a. at the requisitedistance apart, may be quickly and easily attachedto the line-wires without bending said stays or wires, and when properly attached to the line-wires, as before described, the stay becomes coiled around each succeeding wire and may be straightened to a vertical position or moved to any point desired, after which suitable tension is placed upon the line-wires and the fence is complete.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In a fence, the combination with the linelin ewires and forms a single wrap there- IO wires, of the stay consisting of a wire proaround. vided with a series of reverse return-bends In testimony whereof I affix my signature between which the intervening sections of the in presence of two witnesses.

5 body of the stay extend obliquely and unite the extremities of said bends, which extremi- Y SHELDON JACKSON ties are open and free of access, said inter- Witnesses: vening sections being of such length'that the H. O. RETAN,

inner arc of the opposed bends embraces the H. W; PORTER; 

